Today we lost a great warrior for the rights of the wrongfully injured. Ronald Motley, one of our own, was one of the greatest lawyers our nation has ever known. Ron tried and won more cases in more jurisdictions than any other lawyer in American History.
Ron dedicated his professional life to the pursuit of justice and to his profession. Ron’s legendary work created new paths that opened the doors for so many of us. Joe Rice ,Ron’s partner and long time brother in the law, captured Ron’s life as a lawyer :
“Ron’s passing is an incalculable loss for all those he devoted his life’s work to, whether it was people sick from asbestos poisoning, State Attorneys General taking on Big Tobacco, 9/11 family members seeking to bankrupt terrorism, or anyone else who wanted his or her day in court to redress injustice.
As many of you experienced first-hand, Ron was many things. A true giant of the legal profession. A trail blazer and innovator. A charismatic master of the courtroom. A tenacious interrogator. But most of all, he was marked by unmatched courage in going after any wrongdoer, no matter how big and powerful, and by his bottomless well of compassion for those who have been wronged.”
On a personal level, Ron was my mentor as he was to many others. Ron was a dear friend who will always be part of me. For those of us blessed to have known and learned from Ron, he will forever be standing along side us in Court whenever a wrong needs to be made right. Ron was bigger than life and a force of nature.
Our prayers go out to Ron’s family and his family at Motley Rice.
Good bye my dear friend. You will live on in our hearts and in our work in the fight for justice.
Sincerely,
Christopher M. Placitella, Esquire
C /P /R
Cohen, Placitella & Roth
127 Maple Ave / Red Bank, NJ, 07701
732.747.9003 / 732.747.9004 (fax)
http://www.cprlaw.com
New Jersey Certified Civil Trial Attorney pursuant to Rule 1:39-5(a)
“The very essence of civil liberty certainly consists in the right of every individual to claim protection of the laws whenever he receives an injury.”
Marbury v. Madison (1803) (John Marshall)